Indoor television antenna with rotatable rings



Nov. 11, 1969 M. P. MIDDLEMARK 3,478,361

INDOOR TELEVISION ANTENNA WITH ,ROTATABLE RINGS Filed Oct. 9, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2 gy ATTORNEY Nov. .11, 1969 M, P. MIDDLEMARK INDOOR TELEVISION ANTENNA WITH ROTATABLE RINGS Filed 0G1,- 9. 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 TO RECEIVER INPUT SELECTOR SWITCH Q I I N VEN TOR yaw F %%w G e ATTORNEY Nov. 11, 1969 M. P. MIDDLEMARK 3,

INDOOR TELEVISION ANTENNA WITH ROTATABLE RINGS Filed Oct. 9. 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. 7 2% 171.2%

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,478,361 INDOOR TELEVISION ANTENNA WITH ROTATABLE RINGS Marvin P. Middlemark, 96 St0rel1ill Road, Old Westbury, N.Y. 11568 Filed Oct. 9, 1968, Ser. No. 766,268 Int. Cl. H01q 1/00 U.S. Cl. 343730 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to indoor television antennas for connection to the input terminals of a television receiver.

Modern receivers require input signals which are effective over a very wide range because they include the UHF range as well as the conventional VHF, the UHF being in the 470 to 890 megacycle range. Further, in color receivers, should ghost signals be excessive, the colors tend to blur and the reception is very unsatisfactory.

With the foregoing in mind, I have devised an indoor antenna which meets the above problems. More specifically, besides serving the VHF band, I provide two single loops or rings which perform a number of functions. These rings adjustably coact with the VHF elements to vary the band width, directivity, and impedance thereof. Further, and more importantly, these rings may be used together, and without the VHF elements, to serve the UHF range. Thus, the two rings are of a size suitable for this higher band. The rings are rotatable on a vertical axis and they intermesh closely so as to achieve a close coupling with each other for producing considerable variation in band width, directivity and impedance. In fact, the rings may overlap or intermesh about /6 of their diameter to achieve a close coupling when so desired. I provide a single knob by which both rings are simultaneously rotated and the rings overlap one another to provide maximum variation in the above factors.

The invention will be further understood from the following description and drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of the antenna system of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a bottom plan view thereof with the selector switch and wiring omitted for purposes of clary; I

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view through the mounting means of the rotatable rings; and

FIGURE 4 is a schematic view of the wiring of the various antenna elements and including the selector switch shown in block form. This wiring diagram is of course the situation which exists at a particular orientation of the rotatable rings.

As will be shown hereinafter, the antenna of this invention provides four terminals which are selectively applied to the receiver input. A selector switch is used for this purpose. This switch is shown in detail in my prior patent No. 2,585,670 where the antenna also provides four terminals which are connected to the selector switch. Accordingly, the four antenna element terminals of the present invention are connected in the same way to a selector switch, the details of which are shown in said patent and need not be repeated here.

The antenna comprises a plastic supporting housing 10 which on its upper face supports the antenna elements and which houses the selector switch and the ring actuating train.

The antenna elements include the usual rabbit ears 11 and the single, larger, vertical outer ring 12 which mainly serve the VHF range, each rabbit ear being extensible as usual to at least three feet, and the ring 12 having'a diameter of about nine inches.

The smaller vertical rings 13 and 14 are rotatably mounted within the larger ring 12. Further, the orientation of the rings 13 and 14 is controlled by a manually operated rotating knob or dial which, through a train or network, as will be later described, causes these rings to rotate in respectively opposite directions. The rings 13 and 14 are 6 /2-7 inches in diameter, their CD. being and of brass plated steel. These rings are re-' spectively mounted on posts or bolts 16 and 17. These posts or bolts are 1 /2 inches apart so that the rings may overlap each other almost to their full extent. Of course, these dimensions are not critical.

Since rings 13 and 14 are rotatable a full 360 degrees, their inter-relationship or coupling is variable to a very great extent. They may assume a parallel relationship where they do not overlap, or a right angle relationship with infinite positions within these two extremes.

Each ring 13 and 14 is split at its lower end to provide two horizontal terminals which are insulated from each other. Thus, ring 13 terminates at its lower end with two horizontal stubs or fingers 18 and 19, the finger 18 having an internally threaded hole so that it may be mounted on threaded rotatable bolt 16, while finger 19 has a larger hole which is spaced from bolt 16. Finger 18 is uppermost and makes contact with belt 16. Finger 19 is insulated from bolt 16. This is effected by providing a vertical, metal tube 20 secured to the underside of finger 19. Enclosed within tube 20 is plastic tube 21 which embraces bolt 16. Plastic tube 21 has a plastic floor 23 which also serves to insulate finger 19 and tube 20 from finger 18. Plastic disk or washer 22 also separates and insulates the fingers from each other.

Housing 10 is formed with two hollow bosses 25 each of which is lined by a metal collar 26 from the underside of which are connected metal terminals 28 and 29. The hollow boss not shown serves the ring 14 which is mounted exactly the same as is ring 13 in its hollow boss 25. Metal tube 20 is rotatably disposed through and slidably contacts collar 26 so that when ring 13 is rotated, the finger 19 transmits any electrical signal to terminal 28. On the other hand, finger 18 is in contact with metal bolt 16 and its enlarged lower end 30. Firmly disposed between floor 23 and enlarged lower end 30, is plastic gear 31, by means of which ring 13 is rotated as will be hereinafter described. A metal coil spring 32 is secured to lower end 30 which is connected to the corresponding rotatable bolt which is connected to ring 14 as will be hereinafter described.

Ring 14 is rotatably mounted in the same manner as ring 13 and the parts thereof are indicated by the same reference numerals as ring 13 but with an added a, as for example plastic gear 31a.

Terminals 28 and 29 are connected by a wire 35 from which extends wire 36 so that wire 36 is connected to the outer ends of rings 13 and 14 as illustrated in FIG. 4. On the other hand, the inner ends of rings 13 and 14 are interconnected by spring 32 and wire 37 extends therefrom. Wires 36 and 37 are two of the terminal wires of the antenna as will be hereinafter explained.

Enlarged, stationary ring 12 has its lower terminals 40 and 41 fixed at the underside of housing on either side of plastic gears 31 and 31a. Thus, these terminals are spaced so as to be on opposite side of the terminals of rings 13 and 14. Likewise rabbit ears 11 have underside terminals 42 and 43. A wire 44 connects terminal 40 to terminal 42 and a wire 45 is connected to wire 44. Wire 46' is connected to the opposite end of ring 12 and to the other rabbit car, all as illustrated in FIG. 4. Thus the four terminals of the antenna are represented by wires 36, 37, 45 and 46.

Plastic gears 31 and 31a. intermesh so that rings 13 and 14- may be rotated thereby in opposite directions. The driving train is provided by plastic gears 50, 51 and 52, all of which intermesh as illustrated. The gears are supported and rotatably mounted on plate 53. Gear 52 has a shaft connected to dial 54 on the upper panel of housing 10 so that actuation of dial 54 causes rings 13 and 14 to rotate in opposite directions and for a full 360 degrees. Dial 55 is connected by its shaft 56 to the selector switch by which various combinations of terminals 36, 37, 45, and 46 are selected according to the selector system shown in my above mentioned Patent No. 2,585,670. Gears 51 and 52 are provided only to provide space for mounting the selector switch dial 55 on the housing panel, gear 52 being directly driven by dial 54.

As explained in my above mentioned Patent No. 2,585,670, operation of the selector switch will actually select nine different combinations. However, I will explain the operation of the four most important combinations.

Thus, selector dial 55 may be turned to select terminal wire 45 and 46 and apply them to the receiver input. This selection will serve the conventional VHF range and lower end of the UHF range, comprising as will be noted, the rabbit cars 11 and the larger outer ring 12 disposed between the inner terminals of the rabbit ears 11. In effect, this is equivalent to providing a dipole with an inductance or stub or loading coil between the inner terminals thereof.

It should be recognized, however, that the effect of the inductance provided by ring 12 may be varied by operating the rings 13 and 14 through the dial 54. When the rings 13 and 14 are rotated, they by their simple physical presence tend to modify the directivity and broadband characteristics of ring 12 and affect the color reception accordingly.

In further serving the VHF range, although with the same selection as above described the lower end of the UHF range may also be served, terminal wires 37 and 45 may be seletced. This position combines all the rings and rabbit ears. At this time the dial 54 may be actuated to? rotate the rings 13 and 14 for maximum receptivity by visual determination when the antenna is duly connected to an operating television receiver.

For a third position, terminal wires 36 and 37 may be selected. This substantially confines the input signal to the UHF rings 13 and 14. Dial 54 may then be actuated to rotate these rings to maximum receptivity position, whether overlapped to some degree or parallel. The effect, as will be noted from FIGURE 4 is to apply the rings 13 and 14 in electrically parallel relationship to the receiver input. The ring 12 and rabbit cars 11 are not in the circuit except as their physical presence may contribute. Such contribution may be accepted, or in fact substantially in effect eliminated by the particular orientation of the rings 13 and 14.

A fourth position will select the terminal wires 37 and 46 which will present substantially the same circuit as wires 37 and 45 except that the opposite rabbit ear is directly connected to the receiver input. Thisv will change the directivity.

As explained in my above mentioned patent, selection of any two of the terminal wires 36, 37, 45 and 46, results in the remaining two terminal wires being shorted. This feature is helpful but is not essential to the operation of the ys em.

I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention but it will be recognized that numerous changes and omissions may be made therein without departing from its spirit. For example, while inner rings 13 and 14 as a whole are symmetrically mounted relative to outer fixed ring 12, the rings 13 and 14 may be bodily shifted horizontally so that each of their outer sides are respectively not equally spaced from the sides of ring 12. This will produce varying effects of the inner rings upon the outer ring.

In fact, as obvious in FIGURE 1 hereof, both inner rings 13 and 14 are rotatable on vertical axes which are laterally off-set or spaced from the vertical axis of outer fixed ring 12. Thus, the opposite sides of each inner ring are respectively spaced different distances from the opposite sides of fixed ring 12. This produces varying inductive and impedance effects.

What is claimed is:

1. A television antenna system comprising a support, at least one vertical ring centrally mounted on said support, said vertical ring being rotatable on a vertical axis, a larger, fixed ring on said support, and surrounding said vertical ring so that said vertical ring is rotatable within said larger ring, both of said rings having terminals, and means to selectively apply all of said terminals to the input of a television receiver, said larger ring having a substantially vertical axis about which it is symmetrical, the vertical axis of said rotatable vertical ring being laterally offset from the vertical axis of said larger ring, whereby when said rotatable vertical ring is substantially parallel to, or in substantially the same plane as said larger ring, the opposite sides of said rotatable ring will respectively be at different spacings from the opposite sides of said larger ring.

2. A television antenna system comprising a support, a pair of vertical rings mounted on said support, said rings being disposed in mutually overlapping relationship and both being rotatable so as to assume varying degrees of overlap, said rings having output terminals, means to apply said terminals to the input of a television receiver, each of said rings having two output terminals which are adjacent and insulated from each other, each of said rings being rotatable over a 360 degree range so as to overlap each other in varying degrees or so as to assume mutually substantially parallel relationship, the rings overlapping to about /6 of their diameter when in said substantially parallel relationship, and said system including a larger, fixed ring on said support and surrounding said pair of rings so that said pair of rings are rotatable within said larger ring, said fixed ring having end output terminals, and means to selectively apply said fixed ring output terminals to the television receiver input, said fixed ring output terminals being spaced so as to be on opposite sides of said pair of rings.

3. A television antenna system according to claim 2 and including a pair of rabbit ear elements respectively connected to the end output terminals of said fixed ring.

4. A television antenna system according to claim 3 and wherein said support comprises a housing, and including a pair of gears within said housing and respectively connected to said pair of vertical rings and being constantly intermeshed so that said pair of rings may be caused to assume constant overlapping relationships, each of said pair of rings being rotatable on a vertical axis throughout a range of 360 degrees and in respectively opposite directions.

5. A television antenna system comprising a support, a pair of inner vertical rings mounted on said support, said rings being disposed in mutually overlapping relationship and both being rotatable on a vertical axis so as to assume varying degrees of overlap, said inner rings having output terminals, means to selectively apply said inner ring t rminals to the input of a television receiver, and said system including a larger, fixed ring on said support and surrounding said pair of inner vertical rings so that said pair of inner rings is rotatable within said larger ring, said fixed ring having end output terminals, and means to selectively apply said fixed ring output terminals to the television receiver input.

6. A television antenna system according to claim 5 and wherein each of said inner rings has two output terminals which are adjacent and insulated from each other, and dial means to rotate said inner rings in opposite directions.

7. A television antenna system according to claim 6 and wherein each of said inner rings is rotatable over a 360 degree range so as to overlap each other in varying degrees or so as to assume mutually parallel relationship, the inner rings overlapping to about /6 of their diameter when in said parallel relationship.

8. A television antenna system comprising a support, a pair of inner vertical rings mounted on said support, said inner rings being disposed in substantially mutually overlapping relationship and both being rotatable on a vertical axis so as to assume varying degrees of overlap, and a larger, fixed ring on said support and surrounding said pair of inner vertical rings so that said pair of inner vertical rings is rotatable within said larger ring, said larger ring having a substantially vertical axis about which it is symmetrical, the vertical axis of each of said inner rings being laterally oiT-set from said vertical axis of said fixed ring whereby when either one of said inner rings is substantially parallel to, or in substantially the same plane as said fixed ring, the opposite sides of said one inner ring will respectively be at different spacings from the opposite sides of said fixed ring.

9. A television antenna system comprising a support, a

pair of vertical rings mounted on said support, said vertical rings being disposed in mutually overlapping relationship and both being rotatable on a vertical axis so as to assume varying degrees of overlap as the rings are rotated, said rings having output terminals, a dial to simultaneously rotate both rings, and means to selectively apply said output terminals to the input of a television receiver, the respective vertical axes of both of said rings being horizontally spaced.

10. A television antenna system according to claim 9 and wherein said dial rotates said rings in mutually opposite directions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,093,158 9/1937 Pratt 343764 2,644,158 6/1953 Thrift 343764 3,261,019 7/1966 Lundy 343742 3,281,847 10/1966 Herrero' 343764 2,657,312 10/1953 Saranga 343744 OTHER REFERENCES Gernsback, Radio Electronics, August 1949, pp. 28, 29 Part I, 343-700 TV Digest.

Gernsback, Radio Electronics, September 1949, pp. 34, Part II, 343700 TV Digest.

ELI LIEBERMAN, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

